Cost of Living Comparison Between Salisbury, MD and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Salisbury, MD and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,483 in Salisbury, MD versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,721 in Salisbury, MD versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,960 in Salisbury, MD versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Salisbury, MD is roughly 97% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Salisbury, MD is 86% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 $19.67

$4.53 ฿153

334.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 $65.6

$46.36 ฿1,565

41.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 $9.74

$8.65 ฿292

12.60%

Cappuccino

$3.89 $3.89

$3.09 ฿104

25.89%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$0.68 ฿22.89

280.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.37 ฿12.44

456.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 $7.19

$2.42 ฿81.6

197.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$3.81 ฿129

82.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$2.18 ฿73.5

-63.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.82 ฿61.3

53.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.18 ฿73.5

104.13%

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$2.24 ฿75.4

88.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.39 $13.39

$19.93 ฿673

-32.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.08 $16.08

$3.64 ฿123

341.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.58 $13.58

$13.56 ฿458

0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.29 ฿111

49.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.69 ฿56.9

81.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.33 ฿78.8

-12.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.03 ฿68.4

65.02%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$1.60 ฿54.0

153.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.49 ฿50.5

87.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.01 ฿34.17

80.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.48 ฿16.09

354.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.17 $8.17

$4.45 ฿150

83.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 $11.89

$18.63 ฿629

-36.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.79 ฿60.3

3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.80 ฿94.4

17.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.42 ฿47.90

43.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.9 $50.9

$11.33 ฿382

349.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.09 ฿104

14.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.04 ฿35.19

51.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.75 $28.75

$13.63 ฿460

110.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.31 ฿44.23

-32.06%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.8K $29.8K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

9.11%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.5K $25.5K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-23.32%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$108 $108

$123 ฿4,157

-12.67%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$52.7 $52.7

$13.81 ฿466

281.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 $52.3

$18.52 ฿625

182.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.86 $42.86

$60.4 ฿2,037

-28.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.11 $22.11

$16.80 ฿567

31.61%

Cinema Ticket

$16.84 $16.84

$8.89 ฿300

89.43%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,300 $1,300

$687 ฿23.2K

89.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

51.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$57.6 ฿1,945

-10.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 $40.37

$34.66 ฿1,170

16.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$115 ฿3,879

-24.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$84.9 ฿2,865

30.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 $1,625

$618 ฿20.8K

163.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 $1,377

$443 ฿15.0K

210.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 $2,050

$2,047 ฿69.1K

0.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,236 $2,236

$1,506 ฿50.8K

48.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,420 $2,420

$3,568 ฿120.4K

-32.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,382 $2,382

$2,511 ฿84.7K

-5.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,411 $3,411

$503 ฿17.0K

578.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.33

22.14%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Salisbury, MD: July 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,625 in Salisbury, MD and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salisbury, MD pays 578% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Salisbury, MD vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $292 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Salisbury, MD vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 578% higher in Salisbury, MD, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,625 in Salisbury, MD versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,300 in Salisbury, MD versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Salisbury, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,483 in Salisbury, MD, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Salisbury, MD. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Salisbury, MD, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Salisbury, MD and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Salisbury, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.